


Devious

by wayfarer24



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-24
Updated: 2014-08-26
Packaged: 2018-02-14 12:15:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2191467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wayfarer24/pseuds/wayfarer24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kagami's world is turned upside down when he attracts the attention of a fabulously wealthy but devious heiress. What's worse, Kuroko seems hellbent on playing matchmaker. Kagami x OC.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Devious

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: My first KnB fic, Kagami x OC :) Takes place in Kagami's second year in Seirin. I hope you enjoy reading!

The Rolls Royce Phantom parked outside Seirin High was causing quite the stir among the student population. Though the somber-looking men in black suits dissuaded any frivolous photo taking, a substantial crowd had gathered to admire the sleek, black vehicle, thus obstructing the school entrance.

Kagami Taiga pushed his way past the throngs of swooning students in annoyance. "Tch, it's just a car…"

"Kagami-kun." He knew exactly whom that voice belonged to, but the sheer suddenness of it still made him jump.

"I wish you'd stop doing that!"

"We're in the same class again this year. 2-C," Kuroko said blithely, ignoring his little outburst.

Kagami grunted in acknowledgement. "I wonder what kind of first years we'll recruit this year."

"We'll see. The recruitment fair's tomorrow…" Kuroko trailed off thoughtfully. "Hopefully our performance at the Winter Cup will help to attract more members."

The school bell rang, signaling all students to line up at the parade square. As the crowd around the Rolls reluctantly dispersed, Kagami caught a clearer glimpse of the vehicle and suppressed a whistle. " _Damn_ ," he muttered, "that is one hell of a car."

Kuroko shrugged impassively, having seen his fair share of luxurious rides thanks to Akashi. "I'm more interested in who the passenger was."

Kagami looked away and turned up his nose. "Probably some rich brat," he said with distaste. But as they headed towards the morning assembly, he couldn't help but sneak a last, lingering look at the seductive vehicle. It, no –  _she_  – was engineered to be admired, and even against such an everyday backdrop she transcended her surroundings, effortlessly radiating superiority. Next to her even the most ordinary things seemed glamorous and exciting, and Kagami idly wondered what he would give to just ride her once.

* * *

Takei Mitsuki turned up her nose. "I'm not joining a club," she said with distaste. It was her second day in high school and all around her was complete and utter chaos – flyers being thrust in every direction, the cries of students both enthusiastic and desperate, the jostling and pushing – she thought it was as close as she would ever come to being in a market, and it was  _intoxicating_ , though she would never admit it to anyone. She sipped on her diet Coke, observing the activity with equal parts revulsion and interest.

"But it could be fun, Mit-chan!"

Mitsuki glared at the mousy-looking girl, a newly acquired minion whose name she couldn't quite remember. Ayame, was it? Or Ayumi? "Did I say you could call me Mit-chan?"

Reiko, her long-time follower from middle-school, let out a laugh. "It's still Takei-san to you, new girl."

"S-sorry," the girl stammered, hanging her head in shame.

Mitsuki was pleased to see that she was properly cowed. "That's quite alright," she smiled indulgently. "Stick around, and I'll show you what fun is. All this – "

"Excuse me."

Though the voice was a soft lull, the suddenness and nearness of it made her jump in surprise. The treacherous can of Coke slipped from her manicured hands and the dark liquid splashed onto her uniform. All time seemed to come to a standstill.

Reiko was the first to react, shrieking in horror. "Oh my god! It got onto your Chanel!"

"Goddammit," she muttered under her breath. Of all days for this disaster to happen, it had to be when she was carrying her beige, lambskin Chanel. The once-pristine, buttery leather was now marred with ugly, streaky stains. It upset her greatly to see such a beautiful thing tarnished. Her eyes flashed with anger before she suddenly noticed a pale, blue-haired boy in front of her.

His blue eyes were wide with surprise. "I'm sorry if I startled you." He handed her a flyer. "If you need a towel, come to the basketball club's booth. I'll lend you one."

"You're  _sorry_?"

"I am." He said it with an unflappable calmness that grated on her nerves.

"Do you have  _any_  idea how much this bag cost?" She certainly didn't, but that was irrelevant. It just seemed like an appropriately intimidating thing to say.

The shorter boy simply shook his head. "I think you should dry up first."

"I can't even buy this anymore," she whispered tragically. "It was limited edition."

"It's just a bag."

It was the way he said it that made her snap – simple and to-the-point, without any of the deference that should be accorded to someone of her station. She took out a file from her bag and was about to whack him on the head with it when a big, strong hand grabbed hold of her wrist.

The vice-like grip on her wrist hurt like crazy but she looked up defiantly, refusing to show any sign of weakness. Her assailant was over 6-foot tall with a muscular build, a shaggy mop of red hair, and feral eyes that were presently narrowed dangerously at her.

"Is there a problem?" His voice was a low, menacing growl, giving her the impression of a tiger waiting to pounce. She tried to yank her wrist free but that only made him tighten his grip, and all of a sudden the pain became too much to bear. The file dropped to the floor from her useless hand and she let out a pathetic yelp.

"Kagami-kun!" the blue-haired boy said in alarm. "You'll break her wrist!"

"Tch," the tall one called Kagami finally released his grip.

Her wrist throbbed with pain, but it was her pride that hurt more. She lowered her hand calmly, gathering what dignity she could find and shot him a cool glare. "He made me spill my drink."

"So? He already apologized, didn't he?"

"He must pay," she insisted stubbornly. "My bag's ruined."

"How much is your stupid bag?"

She laughed. "I don't need your money. God knows you can't afford it anyway."

"Then what do you want?" The tiger-boy frowned in confusion, losing a bit of his threatening aura.

"Firstly,  _he_  was the one who did it," she said, pointing at the shorter boy, "not you. Why are you butting in?"

"I don't like seeing my friends get bullied."

"No friend is worth crossing  _me_  for," she scoffed, narrowing her eyes at him. "Do you know who I am?"

"Yea, I do," he said, and she arched an eyebrow in surprise. "You're a crazy bitch, that's who." She felt a blush of anger creep up her cheeks. "Listen, I don't care who you are," he continued fiercely. "Even if you were the President's daughter, I would still cross you a million times for my friends."

It was funny because she actually knew the Prime Minister's daughter, but the boldness of his declaration left her in no mood to laugh. "You – "

"I know I can't pay you back for the bag," the blue-haired boy interjected quietly, "but let me know if there is anything else I can do."

Mitsuki closed her eyes and took a deep breath, struggling to regain her composure. "That's more like it." She turned to the blue-haired boy. "Will you really do anything?"

"Within reason."

"Do you promise?"

"Kuroko!" Kagami protested.

The boy called Kuroko nodded. Mitsuki folded her arms across her chest, frowning thoughtfully. "There is  _one_  thing…"

"What is it?"

"Ah," she let out a dramatic sigh, "I seem to have forgotten what it was." A sly smile spread across her face. "I'll let you know once I remember it."

"You little – " Kagami spluttered.

She schooled her face to a calculated innocence and turned to Kuroko. "You won't turn me down then, will you? Kuroko-kun?"

"If it's within reason, I will not refuse you," Kuroko said calmly.

"Then let's shake on it." She extended her hand, where a nasty red bruise had already begun to bloom around her wrist. "I'm Takei Mitsuki."

"Kuroko Tetsuya." He shook her hand. "You should get that looked at," he said, referring to her wrist.

She shrugged it off and extended the same hand to Kagami, who suddenly seemed to find his shoes very interesting. "Are you going to shake my hand? Or would you rather have broken it?"

"I think you should apologize, Kagami-kun."

Kagami gaped at Kuroko in disbelief. "I'm the bad guy now?" Refusing to look her in the eye, he grasped her hand reluctantly like it was the plague. "Kagami Taiga."

She flashed them her most charming smile. "I'll see you boys around, then."

"You should dry up – " Kuroko began, but she had already turned on her heel.

"Ja," she held up a hand and walked away coolly, her minions trailing behind her.

"Does it hurt, Takei-san?" Ayume, or whatever her name was, said in concern once they were a distance away.

"Of course it hurts," Mitsuki snapped in annoyance. "Fat lot of help you both were. What kind of friends are you?"

Her two minions hung their heads in shame as Kagami's voice echoed in her mind. " _I would still cross you a million times for my friends…"_  An amused smile played on her lips at the recollection. Chivalry, loyalty to one's friends… they should be such pathetic ideals, but he had said the words with such wholehearted conviction, and they seemed to suit him. He was foolish, no doubt, but not pathetic. Far from it.

She raised her right hand to examine the bruise. It was a bright red ring around her wrist that looked almost… beautiful, like a bracelet of fire where his strong touch had scorched her skin.  _Kagami Taiga._  She planted a gentle, feather-light kiss on her new accessory. It reminded her of the colour of his hair. She would be sorry when it healed.

"Mit-chan?" Reiko's hesitant voice snapped her out of her reverie, and she was suddenly aware that of how ridiculously far her mind had wandered. "I think you forgot your file."

Her lips curled up into a sly smile. "Did I, now? What a terrible shame."

Ayume frowned. "Did you… forget on purpose?"

She sighed; it was clear that any attempt at subtlety would be lost on the both of them. "Don't get it back for me," she warned, holding up a finger. " _Don't_."

Ayume and Reiko exchanged a confused glance.

"I'm going home to change," she said irritably. "See you girls later."

* * *

"I can't believe you threw me under the bus," Kagami shook his head in disbelief. Both of them were now back at the booth, and he had not wasted any time in complaining about Kuroko's treachery to the rest of the team.

"You nearly broke her wrist," Kuroko pointed out.

"Of course I didn't! I barely used any strength – "

Riko's fist came down on Kagami's head. "Baka! Learn to control your strength!"

"Ow!" Kagami rubbed his head ruefully. "But I was defending Kuroko!"

"I would've been fine. You should look for her and apologize." Kuroko handed him the blue file that she had dropped. "Return this to her as well."

"I will do no such thing," he said stubbornly, pushing the file away. "And since when were you such a white knight?"

"Since… always?" Hyuga supplied helpfully. "Remember Momoi-san?"

"Right." Kagami threw his hands up in exasperation. "Somehow I'm always the bad guy."

"Was she cute?"

"That's not the point!" He barked.

"Takei Mitsuki," Kuroko murmured with a frown. "Her name seems familiar…"

* * *

It took two full days of goading before Kagami finally found himself walking down the corridors of the freshman classrooms, a blue file in his hands. Even then, he was not so much walking as being dragged along by his smaller shadow. "I can't believe you talked me into this."

"It's the right thing to do."

"You can be so annoying sometimes."

Though there was still a good 10 minutes before classes began, the corridor was strangely deserted. "This is ridiculous. Are we seriously going to look into  _every_  classroom?"

"I think she's in here."

Both of them peeked into classroom 1-E, where a small crowd had gathered around something or someone – they couldn't quite see. They ventured into the classroom and made their way to the front of the crowd, and it was then that Kagami saw her, truly  _saw_  her for the first time. Sure she looked the same, but in her element it was as if she was a completely different person. She was speaking in a honeyed voice, low and exhilarating, with a hypnotic quality that made you cling to every word past and look forward the next. "It will be fun," she said, and he believed her even though he did not know what she was referring to. Her face shone with childlike excitement, bright eyes twinkling with the promise of wonderful, forbidden delight.

He realized suddenly that those eyes were now resting on him expectantly. He cleared his throat and looked away uncomfortably. "Your file," he said curtly, shoving it in front of her unceremoniously.

"Kagami-kun." A wide smile spread across her face as she accepted the file and handed it over to one of her friends, eyes never leaving him. She stood up and leisurely slipped her arm around his, and all kinds of alarm bells started going off in his head. "Excuse us," she said to the crowd, and almost immediately they cleared a path. She tugged him forward.

"Tetsu?" he croaked in panic, but his invisible friend was nowhere to be found.

"I hope you all will come!" she turned back and called to the crowd as they started to disperse. To him she simply said, "come."

For the second time that day, Kagami found himself being led stiffly down the corridor by a much smaller person. He made a mental note to stop letting people do that.

"You're blushing," she remarked once they reached the stairwell at the end of the corridor. She gracefully untangled their arms, much to his relief.

"What do you want?" he huffed impatiently.

She peered up at him through impossibly long lashes, an impish smile on her lips. "Do you think I'm beautiful, Kagami-kun?"

"Wha – what?" he spluttered.

"Just kidding," she said with a merry little laugh before adding, "I know you do."

He stared at her; amazed that such arrogance existed outside the group of narcissistic pricks otherwise known as the Generation of Miracles. "Unbelievable."

She chuckled again. "You should've seen the look on your face. Are you always this uptight?"

He looked away and folded his arms. "I am  _not_  – "

"Listen," she cut short his protest, leaning forward with a thrilling urgency. "I'm throwing a party tomorrow evening at the Mandarin." She cupped his big hands in her own smaller ones, eyes shining with sincerity. "You absolutely  _must_  come."

He blinked. "What?"

"A party," she repeated with hushed excitement. "It will be fun. Kuroko-kun's invited too. In fact, bring all your friends."

"Why would I do that?"

"You can come alone if you like."

"No, I meant – let go – " he yanked his hands away, but not before noting the ugly bruise on her right wrist with a tinge of guilt. "Why would I go to your party? I don't even know you!"

"Tch," she shrugged lazily. "I don't know any of those people, but  _they're_  coming. Besides," she leaned forward again, uncomfortably close, "you  _do_  know me. I introduced myself."

"That's not what I meant," he said hotly. "I  _barely_  know you – "

"There! We've made progress." She flashed him an infuriating smile. "See you tomorrow evening. Just make your way to the presidential suite."

He blinked in disbelief, trying to recall how exactly they had arrived at this point despite his best efforts.

"Kagami-kun," she called, voice laced with a softness that took him by surprise. "It's my birthday tomorrow. I hope you'll come."

Then she was gone, and suddenly the world seemed a little dimmer. Their encounter left him oddly tired, as if he'd been expertly strung along to her tune without any say in the matter, pulled this way and that like a rag doll. He gave his head a good shake, hoping to shake her out of his mind. She was mad, and he would be damned before he fell for her devious tricks.

* * *

Practice had been especially gruelling that day. Kagami was busy chowing down consecutive cheeseburgers when Kuroko brought up  _that_  unpleasant subject.

"So, are you going to her birthday party tomorrow?"

"Hell–" he paused to wash down the burger with some soda, "–no."

"Why not?"

Kagami started on his next burger. "Phees cwazy," he said with his mouth full.

"I think she likes you."

He nearly choked as he swallowed. "That's ridiculous!"

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Kuroko said with a grin. "It's not so impossible, you know."

"Hmm," he paused, chewing thoughtfully. "I suppose I could be considered attractive." His chest swelled with pride at the thought. He didn't usually pay attention to such things, and it was the first time he'd ever considered that possibility. He knew of guys who could effortlessly attract girls – like Kise or Izuki – but he never thought he could be one of them…

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Kuroko deadpanned, and immediately his pride deflated like a burst balloon. "I might go, though."

He looked at his blue-haired friend like he had gone mad. "Why?"

"It's rude to turn down someone's birthday invitation," Kuroko said simply. "Besides, I don't have any plans tomorrow."

"Well," Kagami said, sipping on his soft drink, "you're on your own."


	2. Bruised

"That little bitch!" Riko Aida's voice echoed fiercely off the gym walls as Team Seirin cowered in terror. "I can't believe this!"

Kuroko spoke first. "What was on the note?" Riko flung the crumpled note towards him. He caught it and smoothed out the wrinkles before reading aloud: "If you want to see your data sheets again, tell Kagami Taiga to meet me outside the school gates today at 5pm. Yours, Takei."

Kagami's face went white at the mention of his name. "No way." He snatched the note from Kuroko, read it, then read it again.

"Gee, Kagami-kun," Koganei looked at him curiously. "What did you do this time?"

"I don't know! I already tried my goddamned best to avoid her – "

Kuroko let out a little sigh, wondering if his friend knew this was probably the reason for Mitsuki's little stunt.

"Did you know how long it took me to put together that data?" Riko whispered, a psychotic smile on her face. "MONTHS AND MONTHS!" She took a deep breath and attempted to calm herself. "Here's the plan." She narrowed her eyes at Kagami. "You will go meet her later today. You will apologize, beg, or do whatever it takes to get that data back. And after you get it back, you tell her that she will be sorry she pissed me off."

"Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "But Testu comes with me."

Kuroko looked up. "I don't think she would be happy to see me."

"Aha!" Kagami exclaimed triumphantly. " _You_  pissed her off at the party, didn't you? I told you not to go."

"If you had just gone to the party, we wouldn't be in this position."

"Ah, I get it," Koganei chipped in. "Takei-san actually likes Kagami, but is angry that he didn't go?"

"Don't talk nonsense!" Embarrassment coloured Kagami's cheeks, and he turned to Kuroko. "Don't think you can get out of this. This all started because of you."

Kuroko shrugged impassively. "I think it would be better if you went on your own, but if you insist…"

Two hours later, both of them stood idly outside the school gates waiting for Mitsuki to appear. Kagami shifted restlessly; he was supposed to be at basketball practice now, damn it- not wasting time waiting for some crazy girl.

"Eh, Tetsu."

"Hmm?"

"Do you think she really…" he hesitated.

Kuroko considered for a moment. "Yeah. I think so."

"Damn." He stuck his hands in his pockets and stared down at the pavement. For a guy who thought about nothing but basketball, this was some seriously confusing stuff. "What should I do?"

"What do you  _want_  to do?"

"I want to make her go away." Kagami said this without hesitation. He had no time to deal with girls and their silly feelings. He supposed eventually he would have to get a girlfriend and do the whole growing up thing, but at the moment he was perfectly happy with the way things were… or rather, the way things had been, before she'd shown up. "What happened during the party, anyway?"

"Well…" Kuroko's mind flitted back to that evening.

* * *

_**Six days before, at the Mandarin Oriental hotel** _

Kuroko stared blankly at the doors to the Presidential Suite, firmly shut and guarded by burly men in black suits. He shuffled uncomfortably in his T-shirt and jeans, a small gift in his hands.

"You here for the party?" One of them asked.

"Yeah."

They exchanged a glance before walking towards him, and Kuroko suddenly felt like this had been a very, very bad idea after all. One of the guards pat him down while the other ran a metal detector up and down. "You're clear."

"Uh, thanks."

The doors swung open and Kuroko's senses were suddenly assaulted by a million things at once. The very air itself seemed electric; young people were everywhere, dressed to the nines, drinks in their hands and laughter on their lips, the liquor and dim lights making everyone look like more beautiful versions of themselves. Music blared from gigantic speakers and there was a small dance floor where some rather suggestive activities were going on.

"Go on." He was shoved into the thick of it, and the wooden doors swung shut.

And so, there he was on a Saturday evening, surrounded by people yet acutely alone, as he always was. He moved through the crowd with practiced ease, ducking every now and then to avoid a stray glass or elbow, looking for the host of the party.

At last he found her alone on the balcony, gazing out into the night sky. Her silver dress fluttered lightly in the breeze, giving her an almost angelic appearance marred only by the cigarette between her lips. She drew in the poison heavily before exhaling, the smoke dancing around her like a veil. The sight and smell of it sickened him.

Then she was holding up her right hand, examining her wrist with a slightly sad, quizzical expression. Not wanting to startle her like before, he cleared his throat to announce his presence.

She cocked her head towards the sound, and when she saw him her eyes came alive. "Kuroko-kun!" She flicked her cigarette carelessly into the night. He opened his mouth to say something about her smoking, but she beckoned excitedly unto him. "Come here and look. Isn't it beautiful?"

Kuroko took a step forward and looked beyond the railing, and the breath caught in his throat. "Yes, it is," he whispered. The bright lights of Tokyo stretched out magnificently before him, each one its own little star that lit up the night sky, and from there he felt like he was on top of it all. It was a million dollar view.

She turned to him with a warm smile. "I'm so glad you came. Ah, what's that in your hand?"

"I heard it was your birthday." He handed her the package. "Happy birthday."

She tossed back her pretty chestnut curls and laughed. "It's not my birthday."

Kuroko frowned. "Kagami-kun told me it was."

"He's not here, is he?" Kuroko shook his head in response, and she lowered her eyes as if to hide her disappointment.

"Why did you tell him it was your birthday?"

"Can I get you something to drink?" She snapped her fingers twice before he could decline, and a waiter sprang out of nowhere with a tray of champagne. She passed him a flute and plucked one for herself before dismissing the waiter with a languid wave of her hand. "Come." She took his hand and led him back inside the chaos, and finally into the quiet of the bedroom. Before he had time to protest, the doors were closed and locked behind them.

She kicked off her heels and walked lightly across the room before curling up leisurely on one of the huge armchairs. "Sit with me," she said, waving a pale hand at the opposite armchair. It was not so much an invitation as a command, though it was a very alluring one.

Kuroko took a tentative sip of champagne and planted himself opposite her. "Something on your mind?"

He noticed that her eyes flitted to her wrist for the briefest of moments. "Nothing in particular."

"So… it's not your birthday?"

"I just thought he would be more likely to come if it were." She laughed airily and took a sip from her flute. "I guess it wasn't enough."

"Why the party, then?"

She shrugged. "Why  _not_? Everyone's having a good time."

"Are you?"

"Of course I am." She leaned forward and gazed into his eyes earnestly. "I'm in good company, aren't I?"

Kuroko wondered how many less perceptive men before him had fallen for her wiles. She had a way of making someone feel special and wanted, but alas he saw them for what they were – empty gestures and flattery. Perhaps ignorance was really bliss.

He decided to change the subject. "How's your wrist?"

She held up her hand for him to see. The bruise had turned into a garish purple colour, the only imperfection on her porcelain skin. "Beautiful, isn't it?" She murmured, and somehow he knew that she hadn't meant for him to hear it. Even though he had the dubious pleasure of knowing some very disturbed individuals, her fascination with the injury was still… disconcerting to him.

"Kuroko-kun," she began uncertainly, fingering the pearl and diamond necklace hanging from her dainty neck. "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" It was a perfunctory question. He already knew what it would be about; could smell it coming from a mile away.

Her face lost all traces of amusement. "Why didn't he come? It was supposed to be my birthday." Her usually cool voice trembled slightly with childish anger, as if she had been denied her favourite toy.

"But it isn't."

"That's not the point," she snapped impatiently. "He doesn't know that."

"Well… Kagami-kun is not very knowledgeable in these things. I mean, I'm no expert either –"

She narrowed her eyes at him, as if he had said something that displeased her. "In  _what_  things do you mean, exactly?"

"You know, boy-girl stuff – "

"You think I'm in love with him?"

Kuroko blinked. "Well, you seem to like him a lot…"

She burst out laughing. "You're so funny, Kuroko-kun. I find him amusing, sure, but that's it."

"That's not what it looks like to me," he said gently, confident in his own observations. Behind her flippant manner was someone who had a huge crush on his best friend, he was sure of it. "I can help you win his heart."

"You must be joking," she whispered, furiously fingering her necklace. "Am I not beautiful enough? Not rich enough? That I would need  _your_  help?"

Once again, he got the impression of a petulant child. "You're very beautiful, but that's not important. Kagami-kun isn't that kind of guy."

There was a brief silence before the necklace snapped between her fingers, and all the pearls and diamonds clattered mournfully to the floor, each one worth a small fortune. They stared at each other, her stubborn hazel eyes meeting his cool blue ones.

"I'm tired," she announced finally, standing up. Without another word, she dragged her feet towards the bed and climbed onto it, curling herself up into a ball.

Kuroko thought she looked very small, and very sad. "Good night," he murmured before leaving the room.

* * *

_**Back in the present** _

"Well?" Kagami tapped his foot impatiently. "What happened?"

Kuroko thought hard about how to explain it all to his friend – that she lied about it being her birthday just so he would come, the way she tried to hide her disappointment, how she looked at the bruise on her wrist like it was something to be cherished. He needn't have bothered for at that moment, a familiar black Rolls Royce pulled up before them.

The tinted window wound down to reveal Mitsuki, a broad smile on her face. "You're early."

Kagami stared at her incredulously. "This- this car belongs to you?"

"You like cars? I can show you my garage." Upon seeing Kuroko, however, her smile faltered. "Kuroko-kun's here too?"

"If I'm going to hell, I'm dragging him down with me."

She merely laughed. "I'll show you heaven before the night is done. Get in."

"Just give me the damned data sheets," he said gruffly. "We're not going anywhere with you."

"Hmm. Want to know something interesting?"

"No, but you're going to tell me anyway right?"

"There are no less than 15 fireplaces in my house," she said in a bored voice, "and I feel like starting a fire tonight… or several. Won't it be a pity if all that data went up in flames?"

"We'd better go with her, Kagami-kun. Riko-san will kill us."

She examined her nails with disinterest. "It's your choice. You have 3 seconds."

Just the thought of Riko's punishment was enough for them to get into the car immediately. Inside, Kagami tried his best to look unimpressed but took a few discreet moments to admire the car's luxurious interiors – full leather and solid rosewood, and every bit as beautiful as the outside. It was truly the car of his dreams, and he was  _in_  it.

"Kuroko-kun, why don't you sit in front?" Her voice was all innocence. "I don't think there's enough space at the back."

"What are you talking about?" Kagami stretched out his long legs enthusiastically. "There's loads of space."

"Three people at the back? You can't be serious."

"Why don't  _you_  sit in front then?"

"It's fine," Kuroko cut in. "I'll sit in front."

* * *

Mitsuki leaned back with contentment, pleased at having won their little skirmish. The car was designed such that passengers at the back had complete privacy, and this was the perfect opportunity to speak to the big oaf. Since the party, she'd been secretly praying every day that he would look for her to wish her a happy belated birthday, even if just out of courtesy. Of course, he did no such thing. Her little ploy had failed, but that just spurred her determination.

It was a game she feared she was beginning to take a little too seriously.

She let her gaze linger unabashedly on the strong lines of his face, lines which she was beginning to find strangely attractive. He looked nothing like the refined gentleman of her girlhood dreams – quite the opposite, in fact. Everything about him was wild and unruly, from his hair and brows right down to the way he slouched, but that only seemed to excite her.

Mitsuki could see that her stare was making him uncomfortable – he had unconsciously scooted to the edge of the car, and his nose might as well be glued to the window. It was funny that such a big, strong lad seemed so afraid of her.

"You haven't apologized for this," she said abruptly, sticking her right hand in front of his face.

He winced upon seeing the bruise up close. "Does it still hurt?"

She nodded. "Have you thought about how to make it up to me?"

Her tone had been light, almost playful, but he still reacted with strong indignation. "Isn't it enough that you stole our data sheets? How unreasonable are you?"

"That was for not showing up to my party," she replied evenly.

"Why was it so important that I go to your stupid party?"

Her mind raced for a response, some witty retort,  _anything_ , but for once she found herself stumped. She bit her lip and looked away, and they fell into an uncomfortable silence.

He was the one to finally break the silence. "I'm… I'm sorry about your hand," he said hesitatingly. "Let me have a look at it again." She was surprised to catch the hint of concern in his voice, and when she looked up at him she saw that he was blushing. "Your hand," he demanded impatiently.

She held it up to him, the tiniest of smiles on her lips. All her life she had been the one meting out demands, but now it felt oddly satisfying to do as he bid. "It still seems slightly swollen," he observed. He ran his fingers over the purplish bruise, prodding at it gently for confirmation. "Let me know if it's still swollen in a couple of days." She nodded meekly in response, her skin still tingling from his surprisingly delicate touch.

"Kagami-kun?"

"Hmm?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Do you hate me?"

"Hate is a pretty strong word," he replied with a frown. "I can't say that I really  _hate_  anyone."

"Then if someone tried to bully me, would you defend me? Like you defended Kuroko-kun?" It was the one thing that had stood out from their first encounter, and Mitsuki often found herself replaying it over and over in her mind.

"Of course."

"Does this mean we're friends, then?"

"Friends don't steal from each other," he said coldly. "Why did you have to do that?"

She folded her arms across her chest. "Firstly, it's not stealing if I'm going to return it."

"You –"

"Secondly," she went on heedlessly, "you forced me to."

"Please explain  _how_  exactly I forced you to? Did I put a gun to your head?"

"You wouldn't have met me otherwise. I tried asking you nicely for the party, but you disregarded me completely. So really, this is all  _your_  doing."

"Wow," he muttered in disbelief. "This is why we can't be friends."

"Why?"

"Because you're a devious, manipulative little – " She leaned forward suddenly to give him a quick peck on the cheek, and he fell into a stunned silence, face turning a deep red. She knew what people called her behind her back, and they were certainly welcome to do so – god knows she deserved it. But she didn't want to hear it from him.

She tilted her head and looked at him with an amused smile. "You look so cute when you blush."

"Wha- what's your problem?" he spluttered furiously. "Do you always go around kissing guys you barely know? Is that what you do?"

Mitsuki pursed her lips thoughtfully. "No, not really. Just you." She decided to toy with him a little more. "Besides, we'll get to know each other tonight. Then we can be friends, can't we?" He immediately turned an even deeper shade of red at her suggestion. "Don't let your mind wander too far," she purred knowingly. "We're just going to have a little fun, that's all."

"My mind wasn't wandering," he protested. "Where the hell are you taking us, anyway?"

A sly smile spread across her face. "You'll see."


	3. Chapter 3

 

As it turned out, their destination was none other than the Takei residence. Kagami sucked in a breath, taking in the extravagance of it all – the massive driveway, the generous lawn, the ornate fountain – and they had not even set foot in the mansion. "Holy shit."

"Do you like it?"

At the sound of her smug voice, he immediately wiped the admiration off his face. "What's there to like? This is such a waste of space. I can't believe they let you build this."

Mitsuki clucked her tongue in mock disapproval. "Is that how Americans address their hosts? By insulting their homes? How rude." She turned to Kuroko. "We should teach him some Japanese manners, shouldn't we?"

"Ah…" Kuroko turned to give him a look that said 'I have no part in this'.

Kagami narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "How did you know I was from America? Have you been stalking me?"

"Do you remember what you said to me when we first met?" When he made no reply, she continued in a deep voice, doing her best impression of him. " _Even if you were the President's daughter, I would still cross you a million times for my friends._ "

"What about it?"

"There is no President in Japan, silly. So I just guessed."

Kagami merely grunted. It seemed obvious when she put it like that, but he was still secretly impressed that she had accurately extracted an important piece of information from just a passing remark.

Mitsuki nodded at the smartly dressed middle-aged man standing by the doors to the house. He bowed slightly, acknowledging the unspoken command before opening the grand double doors, revealing the white opulence inside.

"Come." She strode into the house, Kuroko trailing behind her. Kagami, however, stood rooted in place. It felt to him like another world lay beyond those doors, one that was both seductive and corrupt, and once he entered there could be no turning back. His instincts screamed at him to run, to return to the humble comfort of his apartment and never return. She frowned at him. "Are you coming, or must I roll out the red carpet?"

Kagami took a tentative step back. "Just give us the data sheets," he said hoarsely.

She seemed to sense his discomfort, and when she next spoke it was without her usual cutting tone. "Come with me," she coaxed, slowly bridging the distance between them until she was whispering beside him. "I promise not to hurt you." Her voice was a soft, playful caress that seemed to turn his insides to jelly. She laughed lightly and grasped his hand, tugging him forward. "Come on."

As he crossed the threshold, all he could think about was how much he detested that voice.

* * *

The day seemed to be characterized by unnecessary waiting. Kagami paced restlessly up and down the hall, dress shoes clicking away on the white marble floor. He stared down at his outfit. "Tell me I'm not the only one feeling like a clown."

"You're not," Kuroko assured him.

Kagami had thought Mitsuki was bossy, but her servants proved to be worse. Upon arrival they had been ordered this way and that – scrubbed up and stripped down, until they were finally deemed to be in a presentable state. That apparently meant being stuffed in a bowtie and suit. They would have gelled his hair back too, but Kagami's menacing stare changed their mind.

"I still can't believe we're skipping practice for this." Kagami shook his head irritably. "Where on earth is she taking us?"

"This is black tie attire." Kuroko chewed his lips thoughtfully. "Definitely a formal event of some kind."

"So, nowhere we would want to be, then," he returned drily.

"It could be interesting."

Kagami tugged at his bowtie. "I don't know how long more I can stand being in this."

The sound of slow, unhurried footsteps from upstairs signaled her approach. "You certainly took your – " He inhaled sharply as Mitsuki came into view.

"I will be the luckiest girl in the room," she said with a charming laugh, descending the stairs in a leisurely manner. "Both of you look very handsome."

Kuroko stood up from where he was, ever the gentleman. "You look very nice yourself. Don't you think so, Kagami-kun?"

Kagami hated to admit it, but she did, and that was putting it mildly. She was a vision in gold and diamonds, the clear stones sparkling and shining, surrounding her with an aura of radiance. Set against the gleaming marble backdrop, Kagami suddenly realized what she looked like. "Money," he whispered, so only Kuroko could hear. "She looks like money. That's all."

His friend glanced up at him, an unreadable expression on his face. "If you say so."

She walked up to them and paused, looking at Kagami expectantly. He broke away from her gaze uncomfortably, not knowing what she wanted and opting instead to stare down at the leather shoes he was wearing. He gave his toes a little wiggle; the shoes were unexpectedly comfortable, though not as comfortable as his Jordan's, of course.

Kuroko cleared his throat after a few moments and offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

Mitsuki seemed mildly surprised by Kuroko's gesture, but broke into a grateful smile. "We shall." She took his arm and gave it a little squeeze as the two of them walked out hand-in-hand. Kagami trailed behind them sourly, recognizing his faux pas. Of course, that was what she had been waiting for. And of course, Kuroko proved himself to be the perfect gentleman.

He really wasn't cut out for this.

* * *

The ballroom was already crowded when they arrived. It seemed to Kagami that the whole occasion was just an excuse for society ladies to wear gowns and jewels and have their pictures taken, while their men stood beside them inconsequentially. The photographers seemed particularly keen on Mitsuki and she gladly obliged, pulling him into the frame every now and then. Kagami was sure that, within that short span, he had been photographed more times than in his entire life.

"Mit-chan!" A group of girls about their age waved her over enthusiastically.

She turned to Kagami and muttered something insincere before walking excitedly over to join them, as if they were an exclusive fellowship closed to outsiders. All of them seemed cut from the same cloth – pale, slender, and possessed of an arrogant confidence that came from being born into privilege. They huddled together and exchanged hushed whispers before breaking out in raucous laughter, sounding rather like a pack of hyenas.

"It's the golden girls!" It wasn't long before the photographers descended upon them like vultures, and the cameras clicked away as they posed with practiced smiles.

Kagami regarded all this contemptuously. "The  _golden girls_? Seriously?" he whispered sidelong to Kuroko.

"Ah, no wonder her name sounded familiar. I read about her in the papers."

Kagami raised a bushy eyebrow. "Which papers have you been reading? The Girly Times?"

"It was an article about women inheriting businesses," he clarified. "None of them have brothers, so they stand to inherit everything. Or – they could be passed over in favor of a male relative."

"That's kind of sexist."

"It's a cultural thing."

"Well," Kagami shrugged impassively, "it's not like they did anything to earn all that money anyway."

"What are you boys discussing?" Mitsuki glided over.

"You and your friends," said Kuroko. "I remembered reading about you in the papers."

"Oh–  _that._ That article was nonsense," she said scornfully. "There's no way any of us will inherit."

Kagami frowned. "You're not bothered?"

Mitsuki uttered a cynical little laugh. "I'll settle for not being hawked to the highest bidder. That's how we know each other," she pointed back at her friends. "Every summer we go on a little tour to visit the rich male heirs. Our parents hope that we'll catch their eye, of course. It's all very tiring."

She leaned forward suddenly, face glowing with excitement. "That's why you're here, Kagami-kun. I want you to meet my father."

"WHAT?" he cried incredulously.

"Didn't you say you would defend me?"

"I – you're not even being bullied!"

"Semantics," she waved dismissively. "Kuroko-kun, you won't mind?"

Kuroko shook his head, regarding Kagami with pity.

Kagami could hear his heart pounding against his chest as she led him across the ballroom in search of her father; they spent several minutes wandering around before she finally came to a stop. "He's there," she whispered. "Don't look."

"This is crazy," he argued. "Why am I meeting your father?"

"Sh." She placed a soothing hand on his chest, as if to slow his heartbeat. "Just follow my lead. It mustn't look like we sought him out."

"Mitsuki?"

She spun around. "F-father!" she exclaimed with feigned surprise. Her father was a handsome man in his mid-40s, with salt and pepper hair and a tanned, cruel face. "I didn't think you would be here."

"Of course you knew." Her father narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Kagami. "Who's this?"

"My date," she declared. "Kagami Taiga."

"Oh?" The older man regarded him with a forced civility that made Kagami stiffen. "What do your parents do?"

Mitsuki spoke up. "He's from  _America_  –"

"I was asking him, not you."

Kagami squared his shoulders and stared back at him defiantly. "My father works in Los Angeles."

Amidst the tension, Mitsuki suddenly burst forward and embraced her father. "Father," she called with a sigh, "I've missed you. Why haven't you been home?" Out of the corner of her eye, she gave Kagami a sly wink.

The man's cold mask seemed to melt away. "I haven't had a chance, my dear. I'll be travelling again soon." He took her face in his hands. "Let me have a look at you. Have you been well?"

Mitsuki shook her head and whispered pitifully: "I've been hurt." She lifted her right hand and Kagami went cold.  _That's what I get for trusting her_ , he thought wildly.  _She's going to tell her dad I did it and he's going to kill me._

"Who did this?" he roared furiously. "Tell me."

"Some- some crazy old man broke into school and grabbed my hand and refused to let go," Mitsuki sniffed artfully. "He kept saying I had hurt his friend. It was horrible." She turned to look at Kagami with adoring eyes. "Kagami-kun saved me."

As Kagami watched her spin her little tale, he suddenly remembered a piece of chilling advice his father had given him.  _Never trust a beautiful woman,_  he had said.  _The more beautiful she is, the more deceitful her heart._

"Did he?" Her father sounded slightly skeptical as he turned to Kagami, breaking his train of thought. "If so, you have my thanks. Kagami Taiga, was it?"

"Ah – yea."

"Right," he said, sounding as if he had forgotten it already. "Mitsuki, I have to go rejoin my associates."

"But –"

"Be good. And remember– we'll be visiting the Akashi's this summer." He gave her a brief pat on the head and was gone. She stared disconsolately after him, all her charm and radiance deserting her, replaced by a muted sadness that cast a shadow over her face.

Kagami walked up to her and placed a tentative hand on her head. "What was all that about?"

His touch seemed to jerk her back from whatever unpleasant place her mind had transported her to. "Nothing. I was naïve, that's all."

Kagami couldn't help but let out a dry laugh. "You are one of the least naïve people I know."

"I shall take that as a compliment," she replied with a grin.

They rejoined Kuroko and proceeded to the dinner tables, where food was presently being served in ridiculously small portions. "I'm so hungry," Kagami complained. "All this food isn't filling at all."

"Why don't we head to Maji Burger? I know of one that's open 24 hours," Kuroko suggested. "That is, Takei-san, if you don't mind."

" _Maji Burger?_ " she cried incredulously, but Kagami's eyes were shining with blind desire and she relented. "I- I suppose we could. Yes, let's go."

* * *

Mitsuki sat very still, trying to mask her unease with a haughty indifference. She had never been to one of these awful burger joints, and to compound the awkwardness was the fact that they were ridiculously overdressed. She could feel the weird looks and sniggers behind her back, but the humiliation was made bearable by Kagami's look of sheer contentment as he made his way through the mountain of burgers on his tray. The sight of it made her smile – a crazy, foolish, unreasonable little smile.

"Does he always eat that much?" she asked Kuroko.

Kuroko nodded, taking small bites out of his one burger. "Are you sure you don't want one?"

"No, thank you."

"You really should try," said Kagami, waving a half-eaten burger at her. "They're delicious."

"Is this your favourite food?"

Kagami chewed thoughtfully. "The special sandwich is probably my favourite, but it's so hard to get."

"Special sandwich?"

"They sell it at the school canteen on the 25th of every month," Kuroko explained, "but they're nearly impossible to get. It's so good that everyone wants them, and they sell out so fast."

"I still remember the  _taste_  of it." Kagami spoke so passionately that it was funny to think he was talking about a sandwich. "All the flavours just... blended together so damn well."

Mitsuki processed this bit of information. "The 25th is… this coming Wednesday!"

"Yea. We're going to get the freshmen to buy them." Kagami and Kuroko exchanged knowing looks and broke into broad smiles.

"I know what I'll do." She leaned forward excitedly. "I'll buy one and give it to my cooks so they can replicate it. Then we can have it whenever we want."

Kagami shook his head. "That's cheating. Part of the fun is trying to beat the lunchtime rush. If we could have it anytime, then…"

"…then it wouldn't be special anymore," Kuroko finished.

Mitsuki frowned, not understanding. "If something is that good, why wouldn't you want to be able to have it anytime?"

"Sometimes it's not just the destination that matters," said Kuroko sagely. "The journey matters, too."

"Don't bother explaining, Tetsu," said Kagami dismissively. "People like her won't understand what it feels like to work for something."

Mitsuki bristled. "What do you mean  _people like me_?"

"You know, rich people."

"That's unfair," she retorted.

"Really? What was the last thing you worked for?"

Mitsuki fell silent, soon coming to the startling conclusion that she had never worked for anything in her life, and would probably never have to. Whatever she wanted, she had gotten with ease: there was nothing that money couldn't buy, and so everything was meaningless. It was a sad thought.

"See? I knew it."

She knew Kagami meant no malice, but it hurt all the same.

Kuroko seemed to sense her sudden shift in mood. "Takei-san –"

Mitsuki stood up abruptly and muttered a hurried "excuse me" before leaving the joint. Once outside, she immediately retrieved a cigarette and lighter from her purse and lit up. Smoking always did help to calm her. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, as if every sweet breath was her last, falling into a familiar comforting rhythm.

Kuroko came out first, waving the smoke away in barely-concealed disgust.

"Don't lecture me," she warned tiredly. "I know you, you're the lecturing kind."

He sighed. "Fine. I just came to see if you were alright."

"I'm fine." She took a puff from her cigarette and went on incoherently: "I have no right to be anything other than fine. I have everything, don't I? And I didn't even have to work for it."

"You're clearly upset."

"Upset? I'm beside myself with joy," she cried in a strained exuberance, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "Don't you see, Kuroko-kun? Everything in this world can be bought. I'm all set for the rest of my rich, meaningless life."

Kuroko approached her carefully. "That's not true. You can't buy people. You can't buy friendship."

"I can, and I have." Her fingers trembled as she took another unsteady puff. "Anyone will be your friend for a price."

"Not me." He reached out to tousle her hair. "If it helps to prove a point, I shall forever refuse to be your friend."

Mitsuki stared at him blankly for a few moments before bursting out in laughter. "I believe that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me." She wiped away a few stray tears and felt her spirits lifting. "You're so sweet, Kuroko-kun. Let's never be friends."

"Never," he agreed with a grin.

Kagami strode out at that moment, hands stuffed in his pockets, looking a little like a sorry puppy that had just been reprimanded. "Oi…" he began awkwardly before noticing the cigarette between her fingers. "Oi! What are you doing?"

Mitsuki laughed and brought the stick to her lips. "We were just saying– "

He grabbed her hand with one swift motion and snatched the cigarette, throwing it angrily to the floor. "It's so bad for you," he muttered, stamping it out with his shoe. "Don't do it again."

The ferocity of his concern left her paralyzed with a strange wonder. He was always so fierce, like a bright fire, and she would willingly be burned over and over. A flood of emotions threatened to overwhelm her, and they felt a lot like…

"I want to watch you play basketball," she said suddenly, feeling restless. "Let's go."

"Are you crazy? I just ate like, twelve burgers!"

"But I've never watched you play," she sulked.

"And whose fault is that? You could've just come to watch our practice today. Instead you dragged us god knows where – "

"I'll come next time, then."

"Our coach is really pissed with you," Kuroko told her.

"Why?" She was puzzled for a moment before remembering what she had done. "Oh,  _that_." She laughed with unfathomable optimism. "I'll return it and it will all be fine."

Kagami cut in impatiently. "Can you return it now? It's getting late."

"What are you talking about? It's not even midnight!" Her voice was filled with fervent excitement. "Let's go somewhere else."

"You two go ahead." Kuroko yawned and gave her a knowing glance. "I'll walk home from here."

Kagami turned to Kuroko with a look of horror. "Don't abandon me," he croaked, but nobody seemed to hear.

"Are you sure, Kuroko-kun? I can give you a lift."

"It's okay, I live nearby." He waved at them. "Good night."

Mitsuki waved back cheerfully. "Good night, Kuroko-kun!"

As her never-friend disappeared into the distance, Kagami asked glumly: "Where are we going now?"

"The top of the world," she replied vaguely, eyes gleaming.


End file.
